Special Projects

National Summer Institute Program | Computer Literacy Program

National Summer Institute (NSI) Program

History of the AAM National Summer Institutes (NSI)
NSI Best Practices
2003 NSI Summary & Agenda

Summary

From 2000 to 2003, the AAM program hosted a week-long Summer Institute for graduates of the K-12 teacher training program. Teachers from all AAM partner schools were invited to attend.  Due to the growth of the AAM program, the institute was discontinued in 2003 because it was no longer cost-effective to run a national program. Beginning in 2004, all AAM partners will have the option of running their own local summer institutes, and many have already done so.

Support Materials

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Computer Literacy Program

UNCA CLI Administrator's Guide (June 2005)
(PDF file, 2.5MB)

The University of North Carolina-Asheville (UNCA) Computer Literacy Initiative (CLI) is a program conceived and dedicated to enhancing the computer literacy of Western North Carolina’s (WNC) at-risk (see note below) middle school students. It is held annually each summer on the campus of UNCA. Participants are students in need of additional assistance in learning the skills measured by North Carolina’s 8th grade computer literacy competency exam. The program is strictly voluntary; students are identified and referred by their teachers.

The CLI program began in 2000 and was inspired by U.S. Congressman Charles Taylor (NC 11th District). Funding is provided by the Library of Congress (LOC) through the Adventure of the American Mind (AAM) program of the Education Research Consortium (ERC) of the Western Carolinas. The LOC’s American Memory Web site (www.loc.gov) provides information for curricular classes, newsletters, and art projects in which the students are engaged, and is the primary teaching tool through which comparative literature is taught. CLI is a collaborative effort between UNCA’s Department of Special Academic Programs and the university’s Department of Education.

The initial program was a day camp that served 20 male and female students, principally African American, from one local school for half-day sessions over a five-week period. Transportation to and from the camp was provided. The program has evolved and is currently serving 80 students from a five-county area in a week-long residential program. Five different ethnic populations are targeted in the recruitment process. The camps are now separated into a one-week session for girls and a one-week session for boys.

Since 2000, 179 students have participated in the program. In the current residential model, students are engaged in academic pursuits throughout the day where they are taught computer skills (word processing, presentation software, databases, etc.), study biotechnology issues, and learn regional history. Evening hours are spent in cultural appreciation, leadership training, and supervised recreational pursuits, both indoor and outdoor. Housing and meals are provided through university services. There is a low teacher-to-student ratio to mitigate behavioral issues and increase learning.

NOTE: For purposes of this program, at-risk students are defined as those from low-income and/or minority families and with a high probability of not having a home computer and/or computer-literate parents or guardians, thereby placing them at an academic disadvantage from their peers and at greater risk of dropping out of school.

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An Adventure of the American Mind is made available through a Library of Congress grant funded by the U.S. Congress. AAM is administered through the Education and Research Consortium of the Western Carolinas Inc.
For site-related problems, e-mail aam@ercwc.org..